Goal

Actions

Key Performance Indicator(s)

Progress Toward Completion

Goal c1: Cultivate and celebrate faculty efforts that contribute to inclusiveness in their teaching, research, and service.

Action c1.1: Support the work of faculty who engage in research and creative activities that engage with culturally proficient communication.

Develop connections with external and professional organizations that support scholarly and creative activity that address diversity, equity, and inclusion.

- Current faculty are members of or affiliated with the following organizations:

AEJMC, American Journalism Historians Association, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA); Society of Professional Journalists, Institute for Public Relations Measurement Commission, International PR Research Conference, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) NW Ohio Chapter, Educator’s Academy, Employee Communications Professional Interest Section, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Central Great Lakes, Broadcast Education Association, Illinois News Broadcasters Association, College Media Association.

Action c1.2: Faculty engage in pedagogical efforts that focus on issues of culturally proficient communication.

Identify pedagogical efforts by faculty that address belonging and inclusion.

- To begin during Fall 2025 merit/annual review period.

- Students in journalism/PR courses attended events as part of course work including the Currier Speaker Series, Day of Dialogue; In the Round: a Speaker Series Featuring Native American Creatives; the Black Issues Conference; Latino/a/x Issues Conference; Diversity Symposium.

-Faculty member attended RTDNA Crime Coverage Summit in January 2024, returning with lecture notes for JOUR 4300 and notes for Falcon Media adviser for dissemination among students. Topics included coverage of police, race, juveniles, media bias in missing persons cases, gun violence, and mental health in the newsroom.

The feasibility of funding efforts is determined, and action is taken on this effort by Fall 2025.

- Director Bracken working with Journalism Program Advisory Board on funding and fellowships.
- Pursuing new faculty hire by invitation for Fall 2025.

Goal c2: Deepen faculty members' understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and enhance their ability to develop culturally proficient communicators.

Action c2.1: Establish funding for faculty research, teaching, and/or professional development opportunities related to culturally proficient communication.

- Establish Future of Journalism Fund.

- Fund established in December 2023.

- Currier Fund has been used by multiple faculty and students for engaged learning opportunities, zero-cost educational resources, faculty professional development, and research-related travel expenses.

Action c2.2: Share both internal and external culturally proficient communication-related professional development opportunities for faculty.

A list of both internal and external DEI-related professional development opportunities for faculty is created and shared with faculty.

- Professional development resources for faculty will be added to shared folder no later than Fall 2025.

Action c2.3: Hold one training for faculty led by experts across BGSU’s campus.

Hold one training led by BGSU experts per academic year.

- Representatives from the university’s libraries presented during a Spring 2024 faculty meeting on low- and zero-cost, open educational resources for students.

- Representatives from BGSU’s International Programs and Partnerships office presented during a Fall 2024 faculty meeting.

- Representatives from the College of Arts and Sciences held a session during the Fall 2024 faculty retreat on student success and retention initiatives.

Action c2.4: Create opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and development on DEI-related topics.

Hold 1 opportunity for faculty annually.

- SMC’s DEI committee hosted its first annual DEI Turntables workshop in Spring 2024.

- SMC’s Colloquium Series, which has included presentations from JOUR/PR faculty on their research related to DEI, designed to create an active community for friendly scholarly discussion among graduate students and faculty.

- SMC has supported and/or sponsored multiple on-campus events, including the Latino/a/x Issues Conference, In the Round (bringing native creative artists to BGSU-https://www.bgsu.edu/the-arts/in-the-round.html)

Goal c3: Recruit and retain faculty and professional staff who are from demographics that are historically, domestically marginalized.

Action c3.1: Develop a plan that ensures best practices for inclusive and equitable hiring, vetting, and onboarding of new faculty.

Create a process to ensure that all faculty job posts contain inclusive language and are in line with university requirements.

- BGSU has a mandatory faculty search protocol that ensures advertising of positions in diversity-inclusive outlets and verifying the diversity of the search committee, and applicant pools. SMC job postings must use inclusive language and require applicants to “Demonstrated commitment to inclusive teaching practices that support students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles” in their cover letter as a minimum qualification.

Action c3.2: Ensure all search committee members complete required university training.

Monitor the number faculty search committee members who complete the required training.

- Trainings for members of search committees is conducted by the Office of Inclusion and Belonging.

Action c3.3: Review school reappointment, promotion, and tenure processes to ensure a consistent, bias-free process.

Conduct review of school reappointment, promotion and tenure processes to identify elements of systemic bias.

- In progress by the Faculty Development Committee.

Action c3.4: Protect faculty from marginalized identity groups from excessive service responsibilities.

Conduct a review of faculty service obligations. Develop a procedure for equitable division of service obligations among faculty.

- SMC created workload guidelines in Spring 2024 that quantify service activities. These guidelines allow for the comparison of service loads.

Action c3.5: Develop a policy requiring training for all faculty who perform reappointment, tenure and promotion reviews to ensure a consistent, bias-free process.

Monitor the number faculty search committee members who complete the required training.

- SMC Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion guidelines are currently under review.

Action c3.6: Create more transparency and equity in faculty workloads, with particular attention to faculty who perform excessive service.

Create a faculty workload policy and develop a right-sizing process for faculty who are performing work beyond their assigned workload.

- SMC created workload guidelines in Spring 2024.

Action c3.7: Develop more formal policies for in-school mentorship of new faculty.

Create guidelines for faculty mentorship. Ensure mentors have been trained to provide mentorship and enforce requirements of mentors to ensure new faculty retention and success.

- The College of Arts and Sciences has a mentoring program. In Fall 2024, SMC implemented a launch team mentoring team for the new tenure-track hire; the practice will continue for future hires.

Goal

Actions

Key Performance Indicator(s)

Progress Toward Completion

Goal d1: Address barriers to student success and access to opportunities.

Action d1.1: Identify barriers to success (e.g. unpaid internships, study abroad experiences, software and equipment, food insecurity) affecting journalism students and determine ways to address them.

Conduct a student survey and create a list of action steps to take in response.

- SMC Director is working to raise funds to support experiential learning and internships. A new fund was created titled Excellence in Journalism Fund supporting experientials learning in Fall 2024.

- A survey of journalism and public relations students will occur in Spring 2025.

Action d1.2: Increase the number of students who apply for the School's/major's scholarships.

Host information session and send reminder emails to encourage student applications and track the number of students applying.

- BGSU uses a centralized scholarship application software. Data on the number of students applying to our scholarships will be tracked.

- Application efforts to take place during scholarship season during the Spring 2025 semester.

Action d1.3: Identify impediments to undergraduate student success.

Advocate for changes to outstanding barriers to student success.

- SMC’s Recruitment and Retention Committee has sent a letter about advising issues to the Dean's Office.

- A dedicated career design coach is now housed in the Kuhlin Center beginning in Fall 2024.

- A survey of journalism and public relations students will occur in Spring 2025.

Goal d2: Enhance recruitment of students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Action d2.1: Ensure the applicant pool for our programs is in alignment with BGSU averages.

Compare JOUR/PR applicant pool to BGSU applicant pool.

- SMC developed a partnership with BGSU admissions in Summer 2024. Includes conversion of applications to enrollment in our programs.

- SMC is working with the Office of Institutional Research to obtain additional data on enrollment demographics.

Action d2.2: Develop relationships with college access programs both inside and outside of the university.

Relationship with college access programs is developed and maintained with access programs.

- SMC Director has met with staff from the Office of Inclusion and Belonging and McNair offices. McNair funding is available for journalism and PR students. Meeting with TRIO forthcoming.

Action d2.3: Develop targeted outreach to high schools and identify opportunities to recruit students to SMC; Maintain the pipeline of high school students to our programs.

Outreach begun within the 2024-2025 academic year.

- Toledo School for the Arts senior leadership team and faculty visiting campus Spring 2025.

- St. Paul Norwalk visited in Fall 2024

- OSMA workshop included students and teachers from multiple area high schools.

Goal d3: Support and develop current journalism students to ensure elimination of barriers to success.

Action d3.1: Develop formal support mechanisms/structures for journalism students with the goal of eliminating barriers to success.

Identify students and develop specialized programming for students

- SMC Director working on cross-campus partnerships.

- McNair opportunities in place for 24-25.

- Relationship with the Marvin Center and Kuhlin Hub developed.

Action d3.2: Develop a database of scholarships, grants, awards, and opportunities for students, including both internal and external opportunities.

List of opportunities shared on journalism/PR majors’ dedicated Canvas page at least once per semester.

- Opportunities for our majors, which include 13 internal awards and 18 internal scholarships, will be shared on Canvas.

- Begin gathering external opportunities for students to share on Canvas by end of Spring 2025 semester.

Action d3.3: Develop a slate of community-building events aimed at creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for both new and returning journalism students.

Community-building events are planned and offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

- Welcome and stress relief events offered at the beginning and end of semester.

- First all-school awards ceremony and dinner held Spring 2024.

- Food pantry for Falcon Media students opened in Kuhlin Center in Fall 2024.

Action d3.4: Establish a mentorship program that connects students and alumni.

Maintain existing mentorship programs and develop additional alumni engagement opportunities.

- SMC Director is working on hosting a panel of Latino/a/x alumni for 25-26 academic year.

- Falcon Media operates a mentorship program connecting student media leaders with members of the BG News Alumni Society.

Goal

Actions

Key Performance Indicator(s)

Progress Toward Completion

Goal e1: Enhance engagement with all our programs’ constituencies.

Action e1.1: Create a Student Council comprised of students across the School aimed at improving student climate in the school.

Student Council is established and working during the 2024-2025 school year.

- SMC director working to create a SMC student council; expected to start Spring 2025.

Action e1.2: Hold listening sessions with students to solicit feedback for improving the program

Listening sessions are held during 2024-2025 school year.

- SMC director is meeting with student organizations Fall 2024. Expected to be completed in spring 2025.

Action e1.3: Suggest the addition of at least one undergraduate student to the Journalism Program Advisory Board

Student inclusion is proposed to and approved by the board by the end of Spring 2025 semester.

- Selection process and charter modification in progress Fall 2024.

Action e1.4: Conduct a climate survey of SMC students, faculty, and staff.

Survey responses are analyzed and next steps to address concerns are planned.

- Survey collected in Spring 2022

- Survey results analyzed in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

- Focus groups planned for 2025.

Goal e2: Make visible our commitment to an inclusive environment where all can belong.

Action e2.1: Ensure physical spaces in Kuhlin Center are welcoming, and celebrate student, faculty, and alumni contributions.

Efforts are made to ensure the building is welcoming.

- Kuhlin Center is now accessible after business hours for students in classes that need use of the labs.

- Screens have been updated to include more recent student content.

- Snacks are provided in the lobby for students at the beginning and end of semesters.

Action e2.2: Include questions on the senior survey asking students about their experience of inclusion and belonging in the major.

Include at least one question to assess students’ inclusion and belonging in our programs.

Question to be implemented in survey in Spring 2025.

Action e2.3: Highlight the contributions of our students, faculty, and staff through SMC website, social media channels, and external communication initiatives.

A social media plan is developed and implemented.

- A comprehensive plan for SMC’s social media channels was developed in Fall 2024 and will be implemented over the next year.

Action e2.4: Ensure key events, including Homecoming, Preview Days and awards ceremonies are inclusive and welcoming.

Programming is evaluated and reconfigured to ensure an inclusive environment.

- Food served at external-facing events are sensitive for people with faith-based and dietary restrictions.

- Members of the faculty and student ambassadors are present and play key roles in each of these events.

- Recruitment and Retention committee reworked programming for Preview Days; implemented Fall 2024.